Database on education for children with disabilities
Every child has the right to quality education
Over the past two decades, remarkable progress has been made in expanding access to education, but evidence suggests many children with disabilities are still being left behind. Without ensuring quality education for children with disabilities and other marginalized groups, the world will not be on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4 to achieve quality education for all.
The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey household programme now allows countries to monitor and track progress towards achieving education for children with disabilities. This is possible due to the integration of the UNICEF/Washington Group Child Functioning Module (CFM) (for more information, refer here).
Analysis of data in the 2021 UNICEF report on children with disabilities and MICS-EAGLE factsheets reveals that in many countries, across all education levels, children with disabilities are more likely to be out of school than children without disabilities. School access and participation for children with disabilities can be hindered by several factors, ranging from a lack of understanding of their needs and of trained teachers, to the absence of adequate classroom support or accessible facilities. Accommodating environments and inclusive education policies are key to meeting the diverse needs of all children in the classroom and supporting all children in their learning journeys.
As a first step towards making information on education for children with disabilities readily available, UNICEF has prepared a database covering four key education indicators that support SDG4 and national education monitoring: Adjusted net attendance rate (ANAR), Out of school rate (OOR) [SDG 4.1.4], Completion rate [SDG 4.1.2] and foundational learning skills [SDG 4.1.1a]. Together these indicators provide powerful insights on the education progression of children with disabilities in 32 countries and areas.
